Fading Away
by Rainbowpoptartcat
Summary: Lucy was acting strange, and Natsu wanted to know why. {HIATUS 5}
1. Prologue

Fading Away

Prologue

 **I really couldn't stay away from writing fanfiction, huh XD But I will be discontinuing my other stories, cause I don't feel like they're going anywhere. But I got inspiration to write this :D**

 **…** **Lisanna isn't a bitch in this so don't worry, but I kinda changed the backstory of her and Natsu's relationship. But don't fret; it's NaLu all the way XD**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **{~•~•~}**

Lucy was many things. She was smart, pretty, kind, thoughtful, caring, and adventurous all in one.

But lately, Natsu noticed, she's changed.

She no longer had the sparkle in her eye, or the excitement to go on jobs with Team Natsu anymore. Whenever she does go on jobs, she does it for the money for her rent instead of the enjoyment of helping others. Whenever she fights, she does it robotically with stiff movements that aren't fluid with will and determination.

She turned into a hollow shell of her former self, and Natsu didn't like that.

He noticed that Lucy seemed more spacey and gets lost in her thoughts more often. She eats like a bird and doesn't talk to anyone much anymore. Well, except for Levy.

Of course, he asked her countless times of what was wrong, but Lucy only brushed him off with a soft mumble of, "I'm fine."

It never occurred to Natsu that Lucy would lose her bubbliness. He never thought it would come to the point that his best friend didn't want to talk to him anymore. And he never thought that he would be hurt so much by her actions ad sayings.

But then again, when does Natsu ever _think_?

He's impulsive. He solves his problems with his fists, not words. But he had a feeling it wouldn't work with Lucy. He felt that he needed to be gentler than he usually is, and more cautious with her feelings than he is with other people.

But so far, it wasn't working.

He didn't want to force her into confiding in him. He wanted her to come to him when she was ready, but it didn't seem she would come around any time soon.

He also noticed something strange. Lucy seemed…more _transparent_ lately. Her skin was pale and her hair lost the shine it had to it. At first, Natsu thought it was because she wasn't eating. But that didn't solve the problem.

It was almost as if she was becoming _sheer._

Her hair had become a more bleach-blonde, and her skin was almost…clear. It was more translucent than her natural slightly tanned skin she always had.

He didn't know what was happening, or the reason behind it. Not even what caused it; he was stumped with no leads to Lucy's uncharacteristic behavior. He was clueless, in a sense.

And what he was clueless about was that this whole thing started from when he and Lisanna had got together.

 **{~•~•~}**

Lucy wasn't in her correct mind. She had no motivation to do anything except talk to Levy about her problems or stare into space. Her unfinished novel just sat on her desk, unfinished.

It started when she found out about the promotion of Natsu and Lisanna's relationship. She had to hear if from Levy. _Levy._ Not her best friend who was _in_ the relationship, no. An outside party had to tell her.

She felt betrayed. She felt that Natsu didn't trust her enough to tell her about his relationship. She felt _abandoned._

The whole ordeal had a domino effect when Lisanna joined Team Natsu and started going on jobs together. It was the final straw.

She rarely went on jobs with Team Natsu anymore. She went on jobs with Team Shadowgear **(?)** in secret. They always met up outside the guild so no one would see them.

She didn't want Natsu to find out because she didn't want to hurt him, or feel the betrayal she had felt all this time. She didn't talk to him about what's going on, because she didn't want to worry him.

Lucy soon came to the conclusion that she was jealous. She also knew the reason, but she wasn't ready to admit it just yet.

She couldn't tell Natsu of her feelings now that he had a girlfriend. And Lisanna was one of her closest friends also. She couldn't hurt her either.

Lucy knew that keeping her feelings inside was not good for her mental or emotional health, so she confided in Levy. She told her everything.

Every time she sees Lisanna and Natsu holding hands, she immediately goes over to Levy and sinks in her chair, hoping they wouldn't see her. Levy would look at her sympathetically, and Lucy would mutter, "I'm fine."

Who knew their friendship could fade away so fast.

 **{~•~•~}**

 **Welp, that's done. I wish it was longer, but oh well. If I put any more detail, I would have to change the title to chapter one XD**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 **Konichiwa, minna! I want to thank all the people who followed and favorited this story. Please don't be a silent reader, I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing, so let me know if you have any suggestions or if you find any grammar errors at all. Here's the next chapter :D**

 **Reviews:**

GaLe4ever:

It's so sad T.T I love it.

 **Well, buckle up, cause we're taking a trip on the feels train!**

 **…** **Natsu won't be too happy about that XD**

NeonTiger101:

Sounds good so far. At least Lissanna isn't evil.

 **True. She's going to fight for Natsu, but she won't be doing it in a bitchy way, she's just fighting for his affection. Friendly competition :D**

 **{~•~•~}**

It was a sunny day in Magnolia, no cloud in the sky with birds chirping their song. Some find it beautiful; some find it annoying because it wakes them up from their slumber.

To Lucy, though, it was another long day of avoiding Natsu and Lisanna. She felt bad about it on a level nobody could understand, but what could she do? If she hung around them, she would end up saying something out of jealousy and end up ruining their friendship on a bad note.

Lucy got out of bed and headed to her bathroom to take a shower. When she was done, she dried herself off, wrapped a towel around her and went back into her bedroom. She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw her window open and Natsu sitting on her bed with Happy on his head.

Her face returned to an emotionless state as she said, "What are you guys doing here?"

Natsu's eyes widened at the sound of her monotone voice. "I want to talk to you."

"Get out." Lucy said firmly.

"Why?" Natsu replied in confusion.

"Get. Out."

"Fine." Natsu huffed as he jumped out the window with Happy, who surprisingly didn't say anything. Since he had an apologetic look on his face, Lucy guessed he knew what was going on.

That makes two.

She walked to her dresser and grabbed her clothes. She was wearing a pink tank top with blue jean shorts and pink flip flops. Lucy made her way over to her desk and tied her hair into a single ponytail at the side of her head and the rest hanging down.

She grabbed her belt with her keys and whip and buckled it around her hips. As she made her way out the door, she locked the apartment up and left for the guild.

 **{~•~•~}**

Lucy opened the guild doors and walked inside, immediately hearing chatter from her guild mates. She smiled wholeheartedly as she made her way over to the bar and greeted Mira.

"Hey, Lucy. What can I get you?" She asked.

"A strawberry milkshake, please." Lucy smiled.

"Alright. While I'm making that, you can tell me what's going on in Natsu and Lucy land." She wiggled her eyebrows.

Lucy groaned and Mira laughed as she walked away. Lucy felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to be greeted my Levy. "Hey, Lu-chan. How are you?" Levy said as she sat down in the barstool next to Lucy.

"I'm fine. How are you?" Lucy replied.

"I'm good. Jet, Droy, and I were wondering if you would want to come on a job with us?"

Mira walked back over and handed Lucy her milkshake. Lucy said thank you and began drinking. "Sure, Levy. I can go now if you want." She answered when she was done.

"Okay." Levy said as she got up.

"So you guys are going on a job together?" Mira asked when Levy walked to the job board.

"Yeah, I don't have anything to do today and my rent's due soon." Lucy answered.

Mira smiled. "So what's going on with you and Natsu?"

Lucy blushed. "N-Nothing. I-I just need space, t-that's all."

Before Mira could say anything, Levy came back over with Jet and Droy in tow. "You ready, Lu-chan?"

Lucy smiled and nodded in agreement. She jumped, startled when the doors slammed open and in came Natsu and Lisanna. Holding hands. Laughing and giggling. Lucy felt a surge of jealousy spike through her chest and grimaced when they started walking in their direction.

Lucy looked at Levy for help and she nodded in understanding. She, Jet, and Droy walked slightly in front of her towards the guild doors. But, sadly, their efforts failed.

"Oi, Lucy!" Natsu called.

Lucy flinched and started walking faster toward the guild doors as she said, "C'mon guys, let's go." She grabbed Levy's arm and bolted for the exit with Jet and Droy trailing behind.

When they left, Natsu frowned. He was hurt that she deliberately ignored him. He walked with Lisanna over to Mira. "Yo, Mira. Where are they going?"

"They went on a job." She answered shortly.

"Damn, I was gonna ask if she wanted to go with us." Natsu pouted.

Mira smiled. "Maybe next time." She walked away to attend a guild mate sitting at the bar.

Lisanna nudged Natsu with her elbow. "We can still go together, right?"

Natsu turned to her and smiled. "Yep, let's go choose one." Lisanna pecked him on the cheek and they walked over to the job board. Natsu was happy, to say the least. He wasn't happy about Lucy avoiding him, no, but he would get her talk to talk to him one day. Today was just not that day.

The only thing that was on Lucy's mind during the whole job was Natsu, and the only thing on Natsu's mind was Lucy.

 **{~•~•~}**

 **Yay! All done :D So, as you can see, I updated the day after I posted the story, but that's not going to happen all the time. This weekend I have a lot going on and I won't be able update for a while after…maybe Saturday because I'm going on vacation, just to let you know :)**

 **Don't forget to review :D**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **You guys are the best! We're up to 13 favorites and 25 follows :D**

 **I'm not gonna put the reviews in the story anymore, cause it ups the word count for no reason and I could easily just respond by PM-ing you, so without further ado, here's chapter 2!**

 **…** **that rhymed.**

 **{~•~•~}**

Something was off in the guild today.

Was it the smell? No, it always smelled like beer thanks to Cana and her drinking buddies. She was already on her fourth barrel and it was only noon. Sometimes her guild mates worry about her.

Was it the sound? No, the guild was rowdy as ever as they conversed among their fellow guild mates.

Then what was it?

Maybe it was Natsu. He was…thinky today. Natsu never thinks, so mostly everybody left him alone to his thoughts. Well, except for Lisanna of course. She was clung to him like a kid to their mom on the first day of pre-school. Sadly, it was a daily thing.

Lisanna tried fruitlessly to gain his attention, but to no avail. Natsu was so deep in his thoughts that in his mind it was just him sitting at a table, alone in a dark room.

Only one person can make him so thoughtful.

Finally fed up, Lisanna slapped the back of his head, which made him hit the table. He shot out of his seat and glared around the room. "Who the hell did that?!" He yelled.

The whole guild stopped and stared at him. He felt a tug on his arm and looked down to meet Lisanna's eyes. "Natsu, it was me." She smiled innocently.

"Geez, what'd I do to you?" Natsu pouted.

Lisanna glared at him playfully. "I've been trying to get your attention for the past twenty minutes."

"Oh. Sorry about that."

"What were you thinking about?" Lisanna questioned.

"Nothing." Natsu replied blankly.

Lisanna frowned but dropped the subject. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"I was hoping I'd get to talk to Luce, but she hasn't come back from her job with Levy yet."

Lisanna frowned again. He had been thinking about Lucy a lot lately. Then again, she has been straying away from Natsu, and it seems that nobody really knew why. Well, except for Levy, of course. They could just read each other's expressions now. "What's going on with Lucy lately? She's been avoiding you a lot." She asked.

Natsu grimaced. "I know. That's what I'm trying to figure out." As if on cue, the guild doors opened, revealing Team Shadowgear and Lucy walking behind them. Levy caught Natsu's eye, so she turned around and started talking to Lucy.

Natsu watched her facial expressions turn to confusion, dread, and finally understanding. But she had a slight hint of pink on her cheeks. _Weirdo…_ Natsu smiled at the thought.

When they walked into the guild, Levy immediately caught Natsu's eye and turned around to talk to Lucy. "Lu-chan, you can't stay away from him forever." She said.

Lucy's eyes filled with confusion until Levy nodded in Natsu's direction. She grimaced as she asked, "Do I have to talk to him now?"

Levy smiled. "Yes, he's been trying to talk to you for a while now. I can just see the hurt look in his eyes when you ignore him. I understand why you're doing what you're doing but at least try to keep your friendship."

Lucy let Levy's speech sink in, and she nodded in understanding.

Lucy looked down at the floor and walked toward Natsu and Lisanna. Almost subconsciously, Lisanna reached out and intertwined her and Natsu's fingers. Lucy held back her scowl and continued walking until she was right in front of Natsu. "H-Hey…" She muttered, refusing to meet eye contact.

"I wanted to talk to you." The both said unison. Lucy blushed and Natsu grinned.

"Alone…" Lucy glanced at Lisanna and look back to Natsu. His eyes widened in realization and he turned to Lisanna and smiled. Lucy's heart lurched for it to be directed toward her.

But she knew that wasn't going to happen.

"I'll be back in a sec." Natsu told Lisanna. She nodded in understanding and pecked his cheek. Lucy cringed, but led Natsu outside the guild.

Natsu was nearly jumping out of his skin, ecstatic because Lucy was finally talking to him.

When they reached a good point away from the building, Lucy turned around and folded her hands in front of her. "So…I wanted to apologize…" She said.

Natsu frowned. "For what?"

"For…avoiding you for so long…"

"Oh yeah…what was that about anyway?" Natsu questioned.

Lucy flinched slightly. "Ummm….something happened and I was trying to adjust to it."

Natsu smiled. "It's alright."

They stood in silence for a moment until Lucy spoke. She looked into Natsu's eyes with a wholehearted smile. "So, you wanna go on a job tomorrow?"

Natsu's heart skipped a beat at her smile. He was just not used to seeing her so cheery after she's been avoiding him so much. _Yeah, that's it,_ he thought.

He grinned. "Sure, I'll meet you at the guild tomorrow. I'll bring Lisanna along for extra help."

Lucy's smile faltered when he said her name. She pushed those negative thoughts out of her head and her smiled returned. "Okay!" Lucy waved at him as she walked back to her apartment. His grin was the one thing that could make her stomach do backflips and her heart to stutter.

Lucy sighed and rubbed her temples in a circular motion. If she was going to get rid of these feelings, she needs to accept the fact that he and Lisanna are a couple now.

And it's not going to change anytime soon.

 **{~•~•~}**

Natsu was left standing there, mesmerized at how Lucy's hair fluttered in the wind, and how her hips swayed tantalizingly as she walked-

 _No!_ He mentally scolded. _You have a girlfriend; you should not be staring at anybody else._

With that thought, Natsu walked back into the guild. What he didn't realize was that somebody was watching the conversation the whole time.

 **{~•~•~}**

 **Yay, new chapter ^.^ I'll be binge writing for you guys for the rest of the week since I'm going on vacation this weekend. Next week updates will be spread out. I'll let you now the schedule on…Thursday when I evaluate how much I've written. I'm also gonna start this "Question of the day thing" so here's the first one:**

 **QOTD: NaLu or NaLi? (does not affect the story)**

 **Mine is pretty self-explanatory XD NaLu all the way**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **Hey guys! Guess what! I got Pokémon Diamond :D**

 **Sinnoh is my favorite region, and I wanted to replay it ^.^**

 **Keep in mind that the prologue didn't exactly happen yet with Lucy's appearance change and everything, but it will change in this chapter.**

 **QOLC (question of last chapter): NaLu or NaLi?**

 **NaLu: 4**

 **NaLi: 0**

 **NaLu Wins :D**

 **{~•~•~}**

Lucy's eyes opened slowly as her blurred vision cleared, revealing the ceiling of her apartment. The memory of yesterday's agreement reminded her that she had to meet Natsu and Lisanna at the guild this morning.

She reluctantly got up and stretched her arms and legs, receiving a satisfying "pop" as her muscles loosened. She got up, took a shower, brushed her teeth, and got dressed. She grabbed her belt with her whip and keys and left for the guild.

Lucy was determined to ignore the mixed feelings she had for her best friend and continue on supporting his relationship. She wasn't going to get in the way by confessing; that would hurt her friendships with both of them. Lucy didn't want that.

She wanted to keep her friendships and keep her friends happy by supporting them. Maybe she'll even find a special someone herself.

Unfortunately, what she doesn't know is that they won't be her soul mate.

 **{~•~•~}**

Natsu woke up with a yelp as he fell out of his hammock and face planted into the floor. He groaned in pain and sat up, rubbing his forehead.

He looked up at Happy who was grinning from ear to ear. "Happy! What was that for?" Natsu groaned.

"Did you already forget that you're going on a job today with Lucy and Lisanna?" Happy said, shaking his head in mock disbelief.

Natsu's eye widened in realization as he scrambled off the floor and got dressed. He raced out the door to the guild with Happy flying beside him.

Natsu was still extremely happy that his best friend didn't completely shut him out. Although Lucy didn't tell him why she was avoiding him, he was still glad that she finally started talking to him again.

As Natsu thought more about Lucy, he noticed some changes in her appearance. Her hair was lighter; it was still the same blonde-yellowish color, but it's paler than it used to be. The same thing with her skin; it was a few shades paler than her natural sun-kissed color.

At first Natsu thought that maybe hasn't gone out into the sun as much as she used to, which is partially true, but her skin was _never_ that pale before.

He shook his head slightly as he ran; pushing the thoughts out of his mind, he was sure that it was nothing to serious.

And boy was he wrong.

 **{~•~•~}**

As Lucy got to the guild, she walked inside and greeted a few guild mates with a small smile. She walked straight to Levy, who was reading a book. "Hey, Levy-chan!" Lucy said cheerfully.

Levy looked up and smiled. "Hi Lu-chan. You're awfully happy today."

"Yep! I'm going on a job with Natsu and Lisanna today."

Levy's smile dropped. "Are you sure you're ready to go on a job with them?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Lucy determined.

Levy's smile returned. "Okay, if you're ready I'll fully support you." Her voice turned into a whisper. "But be careful with the jealousy, I'm pretty sure they'll be all lovey-dovey every once in a while."

The corner of Lucy's mouth twitched at the thought but she nodded in agreement.

She walked to the job board and scanned the tacked papers. Lucy ripped off a paper from the board and studied it.

 _Defeat a gang of robbers and retrieve stolen jewelry._

 _Reward: 300,000 J_

She walked over to the bar and handed Mira the paper. "Who are you going with?" Mira asked.

"Natsu and Lisanna." Lucy answered. "They should be here any minute."

"So you're talking to Natsu again?" Mira questioned with a smile.

Lucy returned the smile and said, "Yeah. I just needed some space, that's all."

The two looked at the guild doors when they heard it open, and in came the happy couple. They were holding hands and Happy was on Natsu's head. When Happy caught Lucy's eye, he flew over to her and landed on her head.

"Are you ready, Lucy?" He said happily **(hehehe, get it?)**.

Lucy huffed as she grabbed Happy and cradled him in her arms. "Yeah. Are, uh, they ready to go?" She said while glancing at the couple who were talking and laughing animatedly.

Happy smiled up at her sympathetically. "I know what's going on Lucy, and it's alright. Once Natsu comes to his senses, you two will live happily ever after!"

"Wha-" Happy cut her off by flying over to Natsu and Lisanna and asking them if they were ready to go on the job. They both nodded and walked over to Lucy.

"Oi, Lucy! Did you pick out a job yet?" Natsu asked.

Lucy smiled. "Yep! But it's two hours by train..."

Natsu turned green at the thought of it, and Lucy giggled. Lisanna and Happy watched the two; Lisanna with confusion in her eyes and Happy had some interesting thoughts going in his head.

The group walked out the guild, Natsu and Lisanna _still_ holding hands and Lucy trailing behind them, with Happy on her head.

This was going to be a long day.

 **{~•~•~}**

The group was sitting on the moving train in one booth; Lucy and Happy in one seat, Natsu and Lisanna in the opposite seat. Although, Natsu was lying down with his head in Lisanna's lap, green as a cucumber. Lisanna was stroking his hair, which eased some of his queasiness.

Lucy kept glancing down at Lisanna's hand with sadness but tried not to say anything as she looked out the window. But the glances did not go unnoticed by Lisanna.

Lisanna wasn't sure what was happening with Lucy, but she had a very accurate idea. Ever since she came back from Edolas, she saw the affection Natsu and Lucy shared when they looked at each other. But Lisanna has yet to receive one of those looks from Natsu.

Suddenly, the train took a lurching halt as it stopped moving. The force sent Natsu into the floor. He jumped up with enthusiasm that the death trap, or so he calls it, stopped.

Lucy looked around in confusion, wondering what was happening, but a scream in the front of the train was enough.

Lucy, Lisanna, and Happy jumped up getting in fighting stances. Happy spoke first. "Lisanna and I will check out the front of the train. Natsu and Lucy, you guys scout out the rest of the train cars." He sent a subtle wink in Lucy's direction and flew off with Lisanna behind him.

Lucy grimaced at the exceeds intentions but decided to drop it. She ran toward the door of the car they were in, pulling Natsu along. They surveyed each of the train cars until they came across a car full with gold and jewels.

"This is the butt jiggle gang all over again…" Natsu muttered.

Lucy shivered. "Let's not talk about that." All of a sudden, two guys in back ski masks walked into the car and gasped. Natsu and Lucy turned around and got into a fighting stance as the robbers did the same.

Lucy pulled out her whip and snapped it at the robber in front of her, causing the whip to wrap around the man. She flung him against the wall, making him black out instantly. Natsu used his fire dragon's iron fist attack and sent the other guy crashing through three other train cars.

Lucy sweat dropped. "I think you over did it a little bit."

Natsu caught Lucy's eye and immediately became enthralled at her appearance. Her pale skin complexion caused her big, chocolate brown eyes to stand out even more. Her hair was down, falling over her shoulders, framing her face perfectly.

Lucy watched him as he studied her. She was blushing furiously as he slowly stepped closer until their chests were a few inches apart. He slowly leaned in and Lucy became even more flustered. When she heard the car door open, she pushed his chest forcefully, sending him stumbling a few feet away. Her whole face was beet red from the ordeal.

Natsu looked confused at first, but his eyes widened at what he almost did and his face blushed a bright red. They both looked towards the door and saw Lisanna dragging and unconscious body in her cat animal soul with Happy right beside her.

"The conductor's okay and will be starting up the train in a few minutes. By the looks of it, these are the robbers from the job description, so I told the conductor which town to drop us off at." Lisanna said with a smile.

Lucy, still flustered, nodded and helped tie up the robbers with rope Happy found. Deciding to take a nap, Lucy sat at a different both from Natsu and Lisanna's and curled up on the seat with Happy across from her.

As the train started, Natsu fell back on Lisanna's lap feeling extremely queasy, but it didn't bother him as much because he was thinking about the almost-kiss incident.

 _Lucy…_

 **{~•~•~}**

 **A bit of a longer chapter, but I tried to put in as much detail as I could. I will be binge writing tomorrow and I'll let you guys know about the update schedule for next week in tomorrow's chapter ^.^**

 **QOTD: Shorter chapter with faster updates or longer chapters with slower updates?**

 **I'm making the question above based on a suggestion from a viewer ^^^ Please give me your honest opinion in a review :D**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 **Hiya :D Guess what?**

 **We reached 50 followers! \\(^.^)/**

 **Thank you so much :D**

 **QOLC: Shorter chapter with faster updates or longer chapters with slower updates?**

 **Shorter: _**

 **Longer: _**

 **I'm gonna keep this question up and running for the next few chapters cause I didn't get many votes as to which people prefer, so vote now :D**

 **{~•~•~}**

By the time the train stopped in Magnolia, it was almost midnight and the sky was pitch black with stars dotting the darkness. The train station was empty, which was a good thing because Lucy ran out of there faster than the speed of a herd of elephants.

Dust flew into Natsu, Lisanna, and Happy's eyes as they watched her race off into the night. They exchanged confused glances, but started walking home. But that was not Lucy's destination.

She was flustered, confused, and emotionally unstable at the almost-kiss a few hours ago. She didn't know how Natsu moved on from the incident so quickly, but she envied it. Lucy wanted everything to run smoothly with her friendship with Natsu. She wanted to move on from her crush and find somebody else that _wasn't_ taken.

But who knew it could be so hard.

She did everything in her power to not kiss him right then and there, because she knew Lisanna was right around the corner. Lucy froze in her tracks, skidding to a stop.

What if Lisanna _saw_ them?

What if she stood there, watching what was happening through the hole Natsu made in the train car, watched them lean into each other, and trying to avoid being cheated on, interrupted them? It seemed that she didn't see anything and her voice didn't have any anger or jealousy hinted in it, but maybe she was trying to hide the fact that she saw _everything_?

Lucy shook her head and continued to jog toward her destination. If Lisanna saw them, she would've said something.

 _Right?_

After less than ten minutes of running, Lucy made it to the gate of Fairy Hills where Levy lived. She snuck in quietly and tiptoed to Levy's room, knocking on the door. Lucy knew Levy was a light sleeper, so anything would wake her up.

She heard the soft tap of footsteps and a lock turning. The door opened revealing a half-asleep Levy in her pajamas with unruly bed hair. Lucy suppressed a laugh but it turned out to be a small giggle, receiving a glare from Levy.

"Lu-chan, what are you doing here so late at night?" She whined.

"Something happened during our job…" Lucy muttered, looking at her feet with keen interest.

Levy's eyes widened and she grabbed Lucy by the arm and dragged her into the room, closing the door soundlessly behind her. "Okay, rate the situation from hugs to hot chocolate." Levy said.

"Hot chocolate." Lucy said without hesitation. She didn't think the situation was that bad, she just wanted a warm drink to relieve some of her stress.

Levy hurried into the kitchen and started her chocolate-making adventure while Lucy sat on the couch and twiddled her thumbs. When Levy was done, she brought over two mugs filled with the hot beverage.

"Tell me exactly what happened." Levy said as she sat Indian-style on the couch in front of Lucy.

Lucy then proceeded to tell her everything, ranging from her sad glances at Lisanna's hand stroking Natsu's hair, to her sprinting out of the empty train station and awaking the blue-haired teen.

Levy sat and listened, gasps and head nods at the right moments as Lucy finished her story. "Wow…" Levy said.

Lucy sighed. "I don't know how I'm going to face them anymore."

Levy smiled in sympathy. "It's okay Lu-chan. Lisanna probably didn't see what happened, and Natsu just let's things go easily. Maybe you should keep your distance a little, but don't let it affect your friendship. If it does, you might regret it later."

Lucy nodded in agreement, letting the advice sink in. If she wanted this kind of thing to not happen again, she needed to keep her distance and try to forget her crush.

Although, they both know it's more than a crush.

"Then again," Levy started. "You could tell Natsu how you feel to get that weight off your chest."

Lucy blushed furiously as she shook her head. "I can't do that Levy-chan! That'll be like telling him to choose either Lisanna or me, and I don't want him to be put into a tight spot. We're best friends, and I don't want our friendship to be ruined because I can't keep my feelings in check."

Levy grimaced and looked at her mug as she muttered, "Maybe you're just worried he won't choose you…"

Lucy's eyes widened. Is that why she won't tell him, because she doesn't want him to choose Lisanna? Of course, it would break her heart to have him choose Lisanna over her, but what would happen after that? Would they stay friends or widen their distance between each other?

"I just don't want it to be awkward…" Lucy said sadly.

Levy smiled. "Nothing is awkward with Natsu."

Lucy returned the smile as they continued to talk about nothing and everything.

Little did they know, someone heard every detail of their conversation.

 **{~•~•~}**

It was a normal day in the guild. People were laughing and talking, Cana was on her fourth barrel, Mira was working at the bar, Erza was eating cake, Gray was stripping, Juvia was swooning, and everybody's favorite couple was being all lovey-dovey.

Lucy and Levy were talking about a recent book they read when they started hearing wolf whistles from various people in the guild, Levy's eyes widened at the sight before her. "Levy-chan, what's wrong?"

"Whatever you do, Lu-chan, don't turn around." Levy said with a horrified look, mixed with sympathy.

Lucy turned around anyway, and choked back her gasp. Lisanna had Natsu's face in her hands, kissing him on the lips. Natsu didn't react until a few seconds later kissing her back, which caused the amount of whistles to increase.

Lucy was shocked and horrified. Natsu told her one time that Natsu and Lisanna had never kissed, meaning that he hadn't had his first kiss before, but now there he is, having his first kiss with Lisanna. She was happy that he had his first kiss but also saddened that it wasn't…

Well…with _her._

Lucy immediately turned around and wiped her unshed tears. She shouldn't be upset over this, he was her best friend. She should be happy for him. But…she's not.

When she looked at Levy all she saw was sympathy. Lucy didn't want sympathy anymore, not even from Levy. So she abruptly got up as anger flashed in her eyes and walked over to the job board. Deciding on something easy to relieve her stress, she took a paper that said some books needed to be reorganized in the library since some people decided to leave them scattered across the room when they were done with them. She showed the paper to Mira and turned around, immediately catching Natsu's eye. He smiled at her, but Lucy frowned and walked out of the guild to do her job.

 **{~•~•~}**

Natsu was surprised.

Not so much as _pleasantly surprised_ , but surprised.

He had his first kiss with his girlfriend, but something seemed… _wrong_ and he didn't know what to do about it. Oddly, the kiss felt… _boring_ , in a sense. There were no fireworks or sparks or anything for that matter when he kissed Lisanna.

Was this supposed to be what a kiss felt like?

He didn't get enchanted by looking in her eyes like he did with Lucy.

 _Lucy…_

Said blonde suddenly got up from her chair and walked to the job board. Natsu watched as she tapped her finger on her chin, scanning through the available options. When she finally chose one, she ripped he paper off the board and showed it to Mira. Natsu watched her every move, completely captivated.

When she turned around, she caught his eye. Natsu's instinct was to smile, but she only frowned as emotions flashed in her eyes. She turned and walked out the guild.

The look in her eyes made Natsu frown as well. He saw betrayal and anger, even _hurt_ in her eyes. There was also one emotion that he couldn't figure out in her eyes, but it was the same look that Lisanna gives to him on daily basis.

But what was it?

Natsu slammed his head on the table as he thought.

 _What the hell is going on?_

 **{~•~•~}**

 **Yay! First chapter of my binge-writing day is finished! So as I said in the beginning, the QOTD will be the same as last time:**

 **QOTD: Shorter chapter with faster updates or longer chapters with slower updates?**

 **Now, I'm going to write two more chapters today, and while I'm on vacation, I will update this story on Monday and Thursday. I get back from vacation next Sunday, but I'll have time in-between to reply to some reviews.**

 **Anyway, please answer the QOTD in a review and I'll see ya later :D**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 **I am now starting chapter 2 of my binge-writing day like two hours later….**

 **Don't blame me, I was eating, damn it XD**

 **Surprisingly one of my fellow reviewers has partially figured out what Lucy is going through. I'm not gonna explain it now, cause one of our good Fairy Tail buddies will appear in this story and explain, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of you read this chapter and started review hunting for it XD They're a guest, so sadly I can't reply to them :(**

 **{~•~•~}**

When Lucy walked out the guild doors the waterworks began. She felt lonely, hopeless, and love-sick. She knew she shouldn't be feeling like this; Natsu was her best friend and Lisanna was one of her good friends. She should feel happy.

But she isn't.

She's _far_ from happy. She was unbelievably upset and heart-stricken. Lucy felt as though she was left behind as all her friends were ecstatic for the highly expected couple; that they all had moved on and accepted that they were a couple now and they weren't going to part any time soon. But Lucy was stuck in the background, still trying to accept that Natsu was with Lisanna, and not her.

When Lucy finally reached the library, her tears had dried on her cheeks, barely noticeable unless you were nose to nose with her. She walked up to the librarian that was sitting at the main desk. "Hello, I'm here from Fairy Tail, did you send a job request?" She asked.

The older lady at the desk smiled sweetly, wrinkling her face adorably. "Ah, yes. I was wondering if you could reorganize the books on the shelves. Some hooligans came in here yesterday and left books everywhere; tables, the floor, everywhere, and I have back problems so I can't bend down and pick them up. Could you do that for me, dearie?"

Lucy returned the smile. "Of course, I'll get started now." She walked over to the closest section and started picking up the books, setting them on the right place on the shelves.

When she got to the "Mage" section, she immediately took interest at a book she found sitting on a table labeled "Celestial Mage Diseases & Treatments". She left that on the table, deciding to read it later. Whenever she moved to another section, she carried the book with her, making sure to not let it out of her sight.

When she was done reorganizing, she went to the main desk and told the lady that she was done. She was handed the reward, and asked if she could stay awhile and read. The lady said she could and smiled.

Lucy went back to where she left the book before going to the nice old lady, and sat down at a table. She started reading the book and became engrossed into it, barely stopping to glance at someone leaving or entering the library.

A half an hour later, she found something. She found a disease that described what she was going through lately, symptoms and all. The disease had five stages. She took a second and stopped at one symptom that said "Change in appearance, such as becoming pale toned and lighter hair color" under stage two. She got up and headed to the restroom, looking in the mirror. She gasped at what she saw.

Her hair was a blinding bleach-blonde color. It was so light that it could be mistaken for being white. Her skin tone was at least five shades lighter than her normal. Her eyes were lighter as well, a hazel color rather than her usual chocolate-brown.

She then knew that she had this disease, and one statement in the book summed it all up.

 _"_ _This disease, while can affect all types of mages, is fatal to celestial mages."_

 **{~•~•~}**

Natsu and Lisanna were sitting at the guild, sitting down at a table with their hands intertwined. They weren't talking, but listening to a story a fellow guild mate was telling. Well, Lisanna was listening, Natsu was being Natsu.

Although, not really, because he was thinking, _again_. The world must be ending.

Natsu was thinking about none other than Lucy, his best friend, partner in crime, whatever the hell you would call it. But the fact that he was thinking so intently was what startled Lisanna.

His eyebrows were furrowed together, his eyes narrowed at the table, and a frown was present on his face. Lisanna knew what, or _who_ , he was thinking about, and she was getting annoyed. They were supposed to be girlfriend/boyfriend; they promised that ever since they were little. So why hasn't he looked at her like he looks at Lucy?

She saw everything and heard everything.

Lisanna saw what happened on the train, and she heard Levy and Lucy talking last night. But she didn't say anything. Why? She was afraid.

Afraid that Natsu would leave her for Lucy, and scared that their friendship would be damaged. She didn't want that, she wanted to keep Natsu and keep her friendship with Lucy.

But either way, she needed to talk to Lucy, and it was inevitable that it was a war between the two of them for Natsu's affection.

 **{~•~•~}**

When Lucy left the library, she had a subtle frown on her face, and if you looked close you could see faint tear stains on her face, and they weren't about Natsu and Lisanna's relationship.

She couldn't fathom that she had this sort of disease, and her being a celestial mage made it _fatal._ Lucy decided to keep this a secret, because she didn't want her friends to worry. She won't even tell Levy.

What was the point? The cure for the disease was almost impossible to get.

She knew that she was already in stage two, and she predicted that pretty soon she'll be in stage three, which by then, she'll start to become transparent.

Lucy decided to let fate run its course, and if fate decides to take her life, then so be it.

 **{~•~•~}**

 **Chapter 2 of the day is done :D I'm not trying to make this too sad, there will be some happy and funny moments later in the story, but this is where the plot will start** ** _really_** **unfolding. And then when that part is done, there will be lover's quarrels and all that jazz when it's over. I haven't gotten to the second part of the plot in my mind yet, but it'll be there ;)**

 **QOLC: Shorter chapter with faster updates or longer chapters with slower updates?**

 **Shorter: 7**

 **Longer: 1**

 **By the length of this chapter and the statistics above, you can guess that there will be shorter chapters and faster updates XD**

 **QOTD: What anime, other than Fairy Tail, would be your favorite?**

 **Mine is Blue Exorcist :D**

 **Another chapter on Thursday :D**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 **Last chapter of the day, and I'm hungry.**

 **Damn it.**

 **Have you ever just like hit your foot against the corner of a chair or table or something and just yelped the "f" word? I did that like twenty times today XD**

 **I need holy water.**

 **You guys may or may not hate me after this chapter. Express your frustration at me in a review after you read :D**

 **{~•~•~}**

 _It was a sunny, partially cloudy evening in Magnolia. People chatting as they walked to their destination, kids playing and screaming in delight at playgrounds, and the Fairy Tail guild just a hop, skip, and a jump away._

 _This is where Lisanna and Natsu as little eight year olds were playing around. Laughing and giggling, they stopped to catch their breath._

 _"_ _Hey Natsu?" Lisanna called._

 _Panting heavily, Natsu answered with a breathy, "Yeah?"_

 _"_ _I wanna show you something. Follow me." Lisanna said as she started walking to the guild doors._

 _After catching his breath, he hurried after her, falling into step beside her as they walked on the sidewalk to the unknown destination. As they walked, they talked and giggled._

 _Lisanna led Natsu to a large hill a few minutes away from the park. She sat down and patted the seat next to her, gesturing for Natsu to sit as well. The duo awed at the sight before them._

 _The sun began to set, filling the sky with orange, yellow, and pink hues. The sun slowly sunk down past the horizon, leaving some purple and blue colors behind, signaling that nighttime was coming._

 _After the sun had set, the stars and moon appeared in the sky, giving off an eerie light._

 _"Hey, Natsu?" Lisanna whispered._

 _"_ _Yeah?" Natsu asked, not breaking his gaze from the sky._

 _"_ _Promise me something?"_

 **{~•~•~}**

"Um, excuse me Lucy. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Lisanna said as she tapped the blonde's shoulder.

Lucy jumped slightly, receiving an apologetic smile from the white-haired teen. "S-Sure…" She stuttered.

Before Lisanna came over, Lucy was sitting by herself, reading the same book she read yesterday. She wasn't even sitting with Levy, and that didn't go unnoticed by the guild.

Lucy got up and followed Lisanna outside. When they got a good distance away, Lisanna turned around and folded her arms behind her. "So how long?" She asked suddenly.

Lucy blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"How long have you liked Natsu?" Lisanna rephrased.

Lucy's jaw dropped and froze in astonishment. After a few seconds, she said, "How'd you know?" She didn't bother denying it.

"I saw what happened on the train and I overheard you talking to Levy a few nights ago at Fairy Hills."

Lucy felt a surge of anger in her chest but suppressed it. She felt that her privacy was violated. But she kept the same bored expression on her face; disinterest in her eyes.

"I'm not sure when, it just happened." She said in a monotone voice.

Lisanna faltered a bit at the sound of her voice. "Well, I'm not going to tell you to stay away from him, because you guys are best friends and I don't want to hurt that. But all I'm asking is for some friendly competition." When she saw the confused look in Lucy's eye, she continued. "Natsu doesn't look at me like he looks at you, Lucy. There's something in his eyes when he looks at you; like he's conflicted or something. He may or may not have feelings for you." Lucy flinched at the last sentence.

"All I'm saying is that we make a deal. We're not technically "competing" for his affection. It's that whether he chooses me or you, we will support each other fully and unconditionally. Deal?" Lisanna held out her hand.

Lucy glanced back from Lisanna's hand to her eyes for a few seconds before she took her hand and shook it. "Deal."

 **{~•~•~}**

It was night time and Lucy was brushing her teeth, already changed into her pajamas. When she was done she washed her face and walked back to her bedroom. She yelped in surprise when she found Natsu sitting Indian-style on her bed, looking dead serious, with no Happy.

 _This happens way too often,_ she thought. _Whatever you do, don't stutter._ "N-Natsu? W-What are you doing here?" She mentally face palmed herself.

"I need to talk to you." He said.

"O-Okay." Lucy said as Natsu got up stood in front of her.

"Why are you avoiding me?" He asked with a pained look.

Lucy felt complicated and mixed feelings rush into her heart. She brushed them off and said in a quiet voice, "I can't tell you…"

Natsu looked more hurt than before. "Why not?"

"It's personal…"

"We're best friends, Lucy! Why won't you tell me?"

"I don't want to hurt you." Lucy said, slightly raising her voice.

"Even if it does, you should still be able to tell me!"

"I just can't!"

"Why?!" Natsu shouted. Lucy flinched at the sound. Natsu saw this, and said in a quieter voice, "I thought we were friends…"

A surge of anger rushed into Lucy. "Real friends would know when to give the other some space!"

"Real friends would tell each other anything!" Natsu yelled right back. He brushed past Lucy and walked a couple steps before stopping and cupping his face in his hands, rubbing his eyes.

Lucy felt tears stream down her cheeks and she walked up to Natsu, looping her arms around his waist in a tight embrace. Natsu stiffened at the contact, but relaxed into it as he slumped his shoulders. Lucy's tears soaked into the back of Natsu's vest **(shirt? idk)**. Natsu, feeling the wetness, turned around and wiped Lucy's tears away. Her arms looped around his neck as his arms looped around her waist. They hugged each other in reassurance that they would always be best friends.

They pulled away slightly, gazing into each other's eyes. Before they knew what was happening, they started leaning in slowly; not breaking eye contact.

They closed their eyes when their lips met and molded together perfectly. The kiss turned into a heated make out session. They were in perfect sync as smacking sounds and heavy breathing filled the room.

 _Maybe I already won,_ Lucy thought. Lisanna's name only lingered in her head for a few seconds until her eyes snapped open and she jumped back, breaking the kiss.

Lucy blushed furiously as she avoided looking at Natsu. Natsu was also beet red; his eyes widened and his hand was in a fist over his mouth, astounded by what they did. Flustered, Natsu said, "I-I'm gonna g-go…" He said before rushing to the door, walking out the apartment, and closing it behind him.

Lucy stared at the door, unconsciously taking steps back until she reached her bed and fell on it. Tears escaped her eyes and cascaded down her cheeks endlessly.

Maybe she didn't win after all.

 **{~•~•~}**

 **Binge-writing day: complete :D**

 **..Please don't hate me after this chapter. Instead of hating it, relish in the fact that they finally kissed :D**

 **…** **and Natsu fled the scene…but let's forget about that for now XD**

 **QOTD: What's your favorite color?**

 **Mine is blue :D**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 **I am back from vacation ^.^**

 **I came back yesterday, but I was too tired to write anything thanks to my three hour long car ride home. But…**

 **We passed 100 followers :DDDDDD**

 **Why are you guys so awesome? Anyway, I will not be updating every day like I did when I first published this story. Instead, there will be two or three updates a week, considering school starts soon.**

 **I still haven't done my summer reading…**

 **Damn it XD**

 **{~•~•~}**

 _Natsu looked startled at the question, but recovered quickly. "S-Sure." He stuttered._

 _Lisanna smiled. "Promise me that even when we're older, we'll always be together."_

 _Natsu grinned goofily. "Promise!" He exclaimed as they linked their pinkies together._

 _Ever since then, they've been inseparable. Going on jobs together, playing together, and being scared by Erza together. Until that fateful day, when Natsu received news that Lisanna had passed away on a job with her brother and sister._

 _He was devastated, but he suppressed those feelings and kept going._

 _Then he met Lucy. Natsu never thought of Lucy as a replacement for Lisanna; he thought of her as his best friend._

 _But then Lisanna came back after the ordeal in Edolas, and he was ecstatic. And one day, Lisanna asked him a question._

 _"_ _Hey, Natsu? Remember the promise we made all those years ago?"_

 _Natsu's face contorted into confusion. "What promise?"_

 _Lisanna faltered a bit, but her smile returned. "We promised each other that when we were older, we would be together."_

 _Natsu thought long and hard until he remembered that day. "Oh yeah, now I remember."_

 _Lisanna's smile widened. "So…will you go out with me? I mean, it makes sense because of our promise, right?"_

 _Natsu grinned. "Sure. It does make sense."_

 _"_ _Right. So now, we're boyfriend and girlfriend." Lisanna declared, lacing their fingers together. Natsu smiled and nodded in agreement._

 _But the sad thing is, at the time, he didn't have any feelings for her. He didn't love her more than just a friend; he was just keeping his promise._

 _But that promise was empty._

 **{~•~•~}**

It's been a week.

One long week since the incident, and one long week since Lucy's been to the guild.

Natsu was sulking in a chair and him and Lisanna's normal table, thinking about the kiss. He didn't know what to do, or how to go about fixing this mess. He didn't know why he kissed Lucy, or why he ran out. He didn't know anything, and it was killing him on the inside.

He cheated on Lisanna without hesitating. He didn't want to cheat on her, it just happened; he had no control over his actions because of his emotions. He didn't have any feelings for Lucy.

 _Right?_

Then why did he kiss her…and _like_ it? Lisanna was his girlfriend, he should be kissing her. But kissing Lucy felt…right. He felt an emotion that he couldn't decipher when he was with her; he felt the need to protect her and keep her safe in his arms.

Why didn't he feel that way with Lisanna?

Master Markarov **(?)** walked to him with a note in his hand. "Natsu, this is for you." He said, and then he turned and left.

Natsu looked confusedly at the note, but read it anyway.

 _Meet me outside the guild_

 _-Lucy_

Instantly, his hands clammed up and his throat tightened. He was finally going to talk to Lucy after a whole week without seeing her. He excused himself from the table, kissed Lisanna on the cheek, and walked out the room.

He saw Lucy a few yards away from the guild and walked to her. He immediately knew something was wrong.

Her skin was white as snow; her hair the same color as the Strauss siblings. Her eyes were a light hazel color and no longer had the shine he was so used to seeing. She looked deathly ill, but he didn't know what was wrong.

"H-Hey, Luce." Natsu stammered.

Lucy smiled sweetly. "Hi, Natsu. We need to talk about…what happened."

Natsu's eyes widened as he felt his face heat up. _Why the hell am I blushing? It's just Lucy…_ He thought. "O-Okay."

Lucy glanced at her shoes for a few seconds and locked eyes with Natsu again. "So…we kissed…" Lucy started, blushing from embarrassment at her rashness.

"Yeah…" Natsu said.

"And I um…wanted to know if it meant anything to you?" Lucy asked with hope in her voice.

He wanted to say yes desperately, but he made a promise and he was set on keeping it. "Not really…I mean, we were both caught up in the moment, you know?"

Lucy choked back her gasp as tears ricked her eyes. "O-Oh." Her voice cracked.

Natsu, noticing the crack in her voice, asked, "There wasn't any…feelings with that kiss, right?"

Lucy's heart dropped to her stomach. She chuckled sadly. "I guess not…well, I'll just be going then." She said as she turned around and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Natsu exclaimed, grabbing her wrist. "What's wrong, Lucy?"

Lucy turned around and Natsu gasped, seeing that tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Nothing's wrong." She said with a sad smile.

Natsu frowned. "Then why're you crying?"

Lucy turned away and wiped her eyes. "I'm fine, Natsu. Just leave me alone." She sobbed.

"I thought that kiss didn't mean anything?" Natsu asked with confusion.

"Maybe not to you, but it did to me…" Lucy whispered as she ran away.

But Natsu heard every word.

 **{~•~•~}**

 **…** **you guys are gonna hate me even more now. Lucy isn't gonna be in the next few chapters, which I planned. But the good thing is you will find out what that disease is really soon ;)**

 **QOTD: Should I put up a poll for my next story? (The options would include some oneshots and an actual multi-chapter story)**

 **Don't forget to review :D**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 **Hey guys.**

 **I'm not as cheerful right now cause I've been having an awful week so far.**

 **I've been sick since Tuesday.**

 **I spilled coffee all over the floor and myself this morning**

 **And my uncle has a** ** _very_** **severe injury**

 **Although, just writing this for you guys and reading the reviews make me feel a lot better. Thanks :)**

 **Btw, please read the author's note at the bottom, it's semi-important :D**

 **(change of plans, Lucy** ** _is_** **going to be in the next chapters :D)**

 **{~•~•~}**

Natsu felt terrible.

He hates when his nakama cry, even more so when he's the cause of it, but the fact that he made _Lucy_ cry was just unforgivable. He didn't realize how much the kiss meant to her, or to _him_ for that matter.

He thought they were just caught in the moment, high on emotions and pent-up frustration due to their recent difficulties in their friendship. But maybe he was wrong.

What he also couldn't wrap his head around was her appearance. Something was obviously wrong, but _what_? Surely Lucy noticed the sudden change as well, but it didn't seem she was the least bit worried about it. But Mavis knows Natsu was severely concerned for his best friend.

And he was going to find out what was happening.

 **{~•~•~}**

Lucy finished writing a letter to her mom and tucked it away with the others. It was nighttime in Magnolia and she had her pajamas already on with a cup of hot chocolate on her desk. She smiled as she gazed out the window, staring at the twinkling stars.

She wasn't going to let her emotions get the best of her anymore. After the incident with Natsu prior today, she decided to forget about her feelings. She wasn't giving up, necessarily, but she wasn't going to interfere with Natsu's and Lisanna's relationship either. If they were happy, she was happy. Lucy was going to let fate run its course.

You never know, maybe she'll find someone.

The next morning, Lucy cheerfully hopped out of her bed and did her morning routine. She ate a small breakfast before leaving, not forgetting her keys and whip. It was a slightly rainy day out, so she grabbed an umbrella as well.

When she got to the guild, she threw the doors open and shouted, "Ohayo, minna!"

The guild looked at her confusedly for a few seconds, and muttered a reply. Lucy shrugged her shoulders and made her way over to Levy. "Ohayo, Levy-chan!"

Levy looked up from her book and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You are awfully cheery today. Did something happen with Natsu?" She questioned with hope in her eyes. Levy didn't fail to notice how pale Lucy's skin was and her hair's color change, but she wasn't going to pry her for the reason.

Lucy's smile faltered a bit, but returned almost instantly. "Nope! But it doesn't matter, because I've decided to not interfere with their relationship anymore."

Levy studied Lucy for a moment before she answered, "And you're okay?" Lucy nodded her head. "Well, if it makes you happy, then I'm happy." Levy smiled.

Lucy hugged Levy over the table and went to the job board. She picked one out, showed the paper to Mira, and headed to the train station.

Levy noticed Natsu watching Lucy as she walked out, and stood up to talk to him. She made her way over to him and tapped his shoulder. "Natsu, can I speak to you for a minute?" She asked as she gestured toward an empty table.

Natsu nodded and stood up as Levy led the way. They sat down across from each other. "So, have you noticed anything…different about Lucy?" Levy asked as she placed her hands in her lap.

Natsu nodded grimly. "Yeah, her hair is white and her skin is extremely pale. At least I'm not the only one who sees it."

Levy sighed in relief. "Do have any idea what's wrong?" When Natsu shook his head, she continued. "What do you think we should do?"

"We could look around her apartment or something." Natsu suggested.

Levy's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea! I have her spare key." Natsu raised his eyebrow in question. "I _am_ one of her best friends." Levy rolled her eyes.

 **{~•~•~}**

"Okay, you stand outside the door and be the lookout while I look around." Levy said as she unlocked the door to Lucy's apartment. Natsu grunted in response and closed the door behind her.

Levy went straight to Lucy's bedroom and looked around. Her bed was neatly made and the room was tidy. Nothing seemed out of place as there were a stack of papers on the desk next to a cup of pens and pencils. There weren't any clothes or trash on the floor and the air smelled faintly of Lucy's perfume.

Levy started walking around the room, looking here and there for anything suspicious. She looked in the closet, under her bed, on her desk, but couldn't find anything. She shook her head and decided to look around the living room, but she turned around and hit her head on a shelf. Levy looked up and noticed a box sitting there.

With at least five minutes of struggling, Levy got the box down and set in on the floor as she looked through it. Levy noticed that they were letters, all addressed to her mom. She opened one that was dated for yesterday and instantly felt a pang of guilt. Levy knew she was invading Lucy's privacy, but she wanted to help. So she started reading the letter.

As soon as she saw the word "disease", she nearly fainted. Lucy didn't say a word to Levy about a disease she had. Lucy never mentioned the name of this disease in the letter; not even a description of what it was. But Levy knew what to do.

She put the sheet of paper back in the envelope, put it in the box, and sat the box back on the shelf. She walked out of the apartment and locked the door, turning to Natsu. "Find anything?" He questioned.

Levy nodded grinned. "Next stop, Porliyusica's."

 **{~•~•~}**

 **All done :D**

 **My nose just won't stop running, and we don't have any tissues :(**

 **But whatever. So, next chapter you'll find out what the disease is and there may or may not be a cliffhanger at the end…**

 **What I also wanted to tell you guys was that I have a poll up on my profile for my next story, and I would really appreciate it if you would participate :D**

 **Whatever has the most votes will be written first, second would be next, and third would be last.**

 **QOTD: It's your turn to ask the questions, so ask me anything :D**

 **…** **mostly cause I can't think of one for you guys XD**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 **CAT IS BACK!**

 **…** **I'm gonna bring that back XD**

 **I didn't get much work this weekend, so I have an update for you :D**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **{~•~•~}**

Natsu furrowed his eyes in confusion. "Why can't we ask Wendy?"

Levy thought for a moment. "We can go check and see if she's back from her job. If not, we can bring Erza and Gray along with us to Porlyusica's." When Natsu nodded in understanding, they started their walk to the guild.

During the long walk, Natsu only had Lucy on his mind. How could she have contracted this horrible disease? Will she be okay? Is the disease fatal? The thought of Lucy dying at the hands of her disease sent a surge of anger through his veins.

Along with the anger came an emotion that he had not felt before, much stronger than any feeling he has felt in his whole life.

And it terrified him.

 **{~•~•~}**

When the pair reached the guild, they immediately went straight to Erza and Gray. Erza was eating strawberry cake and scolding Gray for subconsciously stripping his clothes off. In the background, a faint "Gray-sama!" can be heard amongst the chatter of the guild mates.

Erza looked up and smiled at the two. "Hello Natsu, Levy."

Levy smiled back. "Hey, Erza, has Wendy come back from her job yet?"

Erza shook her head. "Their job is supposed to last another two days. Why do you ask?"

Levy sighs and sits down while Natsu sits next to her, strangely quiet. "It's Lucy. Her hair turned white and she's really pale. Naturally, we were worried, so we went to do some digging at her apartment where I came across a box of letters addressed to her mom. In the most recent letter, she mentioned this disease she has and how she has no way to cure it, but she didn't mention the name. So we thought…"

"That Wendy would know what it is." Erza finishes with a nod.

"But why would she keep that a secret from us?" Gray asked.

"I'm not sure," Levy replied. "But we want to know what it is so we can help her through it. So I suggest we go to Porlyusica's."

Erza and Gray nodded in agreement. "It's kind of late now," Gray started. "Maybe we should go in the morning."

Natsu slammed his hand down on the table and abruptly stood up. "No. I am going today whether you guys are with me or not. Whatever Lucy's going through, she doesn't have to go through it alone, and I am going to find out what's wrong _tonight_."

Erza stood up with him and soon after Gray and Levy did as well. They nodded at each other and walked out the guild, starting their trek to Porlyusica's.

 _You're not alone, Lucy._ Natsu thought.

 **{~•~•~}**

The walk to Porlyusica's was long and uneventful. With the occasional bicker between Natsu and Gray, nothing was too exciting. During most of the walk, everybody was wallowing in their thoughts of this treacherous disease.

Walking up to the nurse's hut, Erza knocked on the door. It creaked open slightly and Porlyusica's head popped out. "What do you want?" She barked.

Erza stood her ground. "Our guild mate, Lucy, has a disease that we are not familiar with. Wendy is out on a job, therefore we cannot ask her."

Porlyusica glared at them for a moment before opening the door wider and stepping back inside. The four walks inside and closes the door as Porlyusica walked over to her bookshelf. "She is a celestial mage, yes?"

"Yes." Levy answers.

Porlyusica walks over to a section of her bookshelves and pulls out a book titled "Celestial Mage Diseases & Treatments". She starts thumbing through the book and opens up to a page that has Lucy's disease printed on it.

"If you don't mind me asking," Erza started. "How do you know what page to find this disease on if we haven't described it?"

"I've seen Ms. Lucy around town lately; I've seen this before with Yukino."

Erza nods in understanding as she waited for her to continue. Porlyusica cleared her throat before speaking. "This disease Lucy has contracted is called Jimina sukete miemasu **(you guys can translate XD)**. It has five stages, them being Isolation, Denial, Discovery, Realization, and Transformation. In stage one, the person isolates themselves from other people after an incident has occurred and they have not recovered from it within a few weeks.

"The next stage is Denial, where the person rejects the idea of being upset about the incident and fakes their happiness as they try to adjust. In this stage, the symptoms include change in appearance, such as becoming pale toned and lighter skin color, which has happened to your friend already. This stage is as far as Yukino got.

"Stage three is Discovery, where they find either a habit, object, or person that can give them happiness and take the pain away from what happened. The next stage is Realization, where they find out that they are still upset about the problem, and become reclusive to everything. Around this stage is when their whole body becomes spirit-like; translucent, if you will.

"Transformation is when they turn into an actual spirit within a few days to a week. This is very particular to celestial mages because during the transformation stage, they turn into a celestial spirit and are replaced by a platinum colored key. The spirit goes into the spirit world where their key acts like any other celestial key. If the spirit isn't turned back into a person within the first forty-eight hours, a new constellation is made with the first letter of their name and they are forever a celestial spirit.

The worst part is the only cure that was found works only if the person is in the first three stages. Lucy is running out of time, seeing that she is already in the Discovery stage. Now that you have your information, get out, you pesky humans."

Porlyusica ushers them out of her hut and slams the door while the four just stands in shock. Levy sighs as she cradles her head in her hands. "What do we do now-"

Before Levy could finish, Natsu sprinted off to Lucy's apartment. He ran and ran, ignoring the calls behind him. He only had one thing on his mind.

When he reached Lucy's apartment, he noticed the light was on, signaling she was still awake. Not wanting to scare her, he went up the stairs and knocked on her door. He heard footsteps walking toward the door until the door opened, revealing Lucy on the other side.

She smiled wholeheartedly. "Hey, Natsu. Finally stopped jumping through the window, eh?"

Natsu was shocked beyond belief at how happy she was. "We need to talk." He said.

Lucy nodded and opened the door wider motioning for him to come in. He stepped inside and immediately stopped as his eyes widened at somebody that was sitting on the couch. Lucy closed the door and followed his gaze. She smiled again and gestured toward the couch. "Natsu, this is my boyfriend, Sutā."

 **{~•~•~}**

 **Cliffhangeeeerrrrsss :D**

 **I know you guys love them XD**

 **It had to be done. Please don't hate me :D**

 **So, I hope you guys enjoyed. I have another story already that I'm posting today. I should really stop that before I get overwhelmed, but after this story's finished, I was gonna let you guys choose which one you wanted me to continue since I posted a story yesterday entitled** ** _A Loner's Light._** **So go check it out :D**

 **Don't forget to review :D**

 **Edit: I have a very good suggestion from a guest.**

Guest:

Will wait for the new chapter anyways, might I suggest something? In regards to Lucy's fast progressing illness, why not make a somewhat prevention for it? Remember Mavis' body in a crystal, why not have that be done to them as well? That way, they can search for the cure, but give it a twist...like you may be halting the body to fade but the longer she stays in the crystal, her memory is the one that fades away..I love that kind of drama

 **This is a very interesting plot twist, and I thank you for that :D I won't use it in this story, but maybe for a possible sequel ;)**

 **That's all I'm gonna say :P**


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 **So…hey XD**

 **I don't think too many people are mad about the boyfriend thing…based on the reviews. I would like to point out that one of the guests said that Natsu isn't the only guy for Lucy, and they are absolutely right. There are tons of the fish in the sea, and Suta is one of them.**

 **Oh, also, I made a Tumblr for some odd reason. My username is Hopeless_NonRomantic, if you want to follow me (somebody had Rainbowpoptartcat but it was just spelled differently *tear drop*). I'll probably be posting some edits I make and my stories. So yeah :D**

 **Btw, two announcements at the end of this chapter, and please read the WHOLE thing, not part of it. It's super important.**

 **{~•~•~}**

 _Boyfriend…_

The word swam in Natsu's mind, embedding itself into the vast caverns of his brain. It seemed so foreign that Lucy would have a boyfriend, since she never showed any romantic interest in any guys. But maybe he was too dense to notice.

Boyfriend. A simple word, yet so powerful and significant to many people. The word sent a jolt of emotions through his chest, something that he wasn't familiar with. He felt a burning in his chest far greater than the natural fire of his magic. It was filled with confusion, shock, and something else that Natsu couldn't quite put a finger on.

"O-Oh." Natsu stuttered.

Lucy smiled as she turned to her Suta. "Suta, this is Natsu, my best friend. We were just going to talk for a few minutes in my room." She said as she took a step forward.

Suta shook his head as he stood up and straightened his clothes. "It's all right, I'll give you guys some privacy to talk. See you tomorrow Lucy, yeah?"

Lucy nodded her head as Suta walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek, oblivious to Natsu's flinch. After he pulled away, he nodded at Natsu and left Lucy's apartment, closing the door as he left.

Lucy turned to Natsu and smiled. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Shifting his gaze from the door to Lucy, he said, "Lucy, I know it's wrong, but Levy and I went through your room earlier today, and she came across one of your letters to your mom, and you mentioned a disease. Why didn't you tell us?"

Lucy's eyes widened as she nervously twirled her snow-white hair around her finger as she stared at the floor. "I didn't want to worry you…"

Natsu's jaw clenched. "Lucy, this disease is _fatal_ and you didn't tell us? You could've at least told me, I'm your best friend. Why wouldn't you trust me with this?"

 _That's ironic, coming from you._ Lucy thought bitterly. Breaking out of her thoughts, she looked up at Natsu and gave a small smile. "I'm sorry, Natsu. But even if I did tell you guys, I wouldn't be able to cure this disease if I wanted to."

"Why not? Porlyusica told us that we just have to solve the problem that started this whole thing, right?"

Lucy shook her head and grimaced. "The answer to the problem isn't going to happen."

"Then what is the answer?" Natsu asked with confusion.

Lucy looked at the floor. "I can't say."

Natsu's gaze hardened. "You're doing this _again_? Why won't you tell me this time?"

"Natsu, if I told you this, I would lose some friends and I don't want that to happen. I'd rather risk my life than to lose my nakama."

"Lucy your _life_ is at stake! We need to do something about this, and we can't if you won't say anything!"

"Natsu, leave." Lucy demanded as tears blurred her vision and her fists clenched at her sides.

"Lucy…" Natsu said, his eyes softening.

Lucy's head snapped up as she pointed toward the door and yelled, "Leave! I'm done talking about this!"

"But Luce, we just want to help you." Natsu pleaded.

"I don't want any help!" She shrieked. Natsu flinched at the loudness of her voice. "Please…just leave…" Lucy whispered and closed her eyes.

And without another word, Natsu left.

 **{~•~•~}**

It was eleven at night as Natsu sat at the bar in the guild with his head down and eyes closed as Lucy plagued his thoughts. All he could think about was her face when she yelled at him with unshed tears in her eyes. Her screams burned into his memory, replaying itself over and over again like a broken record. _All I want to do is help, so why want she let me?_ Natsu asked mentally.

He was lost.

Natsu was so lost and he didn't know what to do

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Natsu turned around and stared blankly at Levy who was standing a few feet behind him. "I take it that the talk with Lucy didn't go well?" Levy, Erza, and Gray decided to let the pair talk alone, so they went from Porlyusica's to the guild instead.

Natsu grimaced and shook his head. Levy smiled sadly and sat next to him. "So what happened?" She asked.

Natsu reiterated everything that happened, including the past arguments they had (not mentioning the make-out session). Revisiting the screams and yells made Natsu frown with mixed emotions in his eyes. Levy didn't interrupt at all during his story.

"So…" Levy began as Natsu finished speaking. "Did you ever think that your past argument and the reason Lucy won't tell you the answer to her problem are connected in some way?" Levy already knew why reason for all this, she just needed Natsu to figure it out on his own.

Natsu's eyes lit up at the realization. "Actually, no. That could be a possibility." He tapped his chin in thought. "Oh! And what if that problem has to do with why she was ignoring me before all this happened?"

Levy nodded and smiled. "Now all you need to think about is when she started ignoring you. Well, I have to go now, but I'll see you tomorrow." She said as she got up from her stool and walked out the guild, leaving Natsu staring blankly into space.

As far as Natsu can remember, it all started a few days after he and Lisanna got together.

 _Oh._

Natsu blinked as a dull, aching pain crept up in his head. Deciding to rest for the night, he headed home.

 **{~•~•~}**

 _Knock Knock_

The hollow sound of a fist connecting to Nastu's door made him wake up. It was midnight now, so who could be visiting him at this ungodly hour?

Natsu got up from his hammock and drunkenly made his way to the door as he rubbed his eyes. He opened the door and groaned at the white-haired mage standing in front of him.

"Lisanna, what are you doing here so late?" He whined.

Lisanna shook her head. "I need to talk to you."

Natsu looked back at Happy to make sure he was sleep and stepped outside, closing the door. "What's wrong?"

Lisanna looked at the ground and folded her arms across her stomach. "Natsu, I think we should break up."

 **{~•~•~}**

 **Another cliffy!**

 **DUN DUN DUNNNN**

 **Lol, jk.**

 **Anyway, I decided to update early cause I didn't have much work and I finished my Algebra II homework in like ten minutes…so here I am :D**

 **So, I decided two things.**

 **One, there will be a sequel.**

 **And two, Natsu and Lucy will not be together at the end of this fic, BUT, they will be together pretty early on in the sequel.**

 **So please stay tuned and continue reading, because there will be NaLu moments along the way :D**


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 **Guuuyyys, I'm being peer pressured *cough*** **MarSofTheGalaxies *cough***

 **Hehe, jk.**

 **But, I changed my plans…again. This WILL end in NaLu.**

 **I repeat, this will end in NaLu. And the sequel will happen after this ends, which, I'm not sure how long this will be XD**

 **And guys.**

 **100 REVIEWS AND 100 FAVS :DDDDDD**

 **ILYSM 3**

 **{~•~•~}**

"Eh?"

"I think we should break up." Lisanna repeated.

"Why?" Natsu asked.

"Well, it's pretty obvious you like Lucy..."

Natsu looked at her incredulously. "I don't-"

Lisanna held her hand up to stop him. "Don't even try to deny it. I see the way you look at her. Every time something happens between you two you ponder over it constantly, even when I'm with you. You're not one to think, Natsu. You're impulsive and think on instinct. When we argue, you just brush it off. Whatever's going on with you and Lucy must be really important to you, and I feel like I'm in the way."

Natsu stared at her for a moment. "But, we made a promise."

Lisanna smiled sadly. "We made that when we were kids. Besides, we don't have to break the promise, we'll still be friends."

Natsu was shocked, to say the least. He'd never had a girlfriend before, Lisanna being his first, and he never experienced a break up before either; he thought he wouldn't have to go through that, and now he is.

But why did it feel like a weight was lifted off his chest?

Natsu thought break ups were hard, a tear-filled experience with nothing but sadness and tons of comfort food. So why was he so _enlightened_? Had he misunderstood the feelings of a break up with something else, or was this what it was supposed to feel like?

Natsu wasn't sure, but he felt an overwhelming need to race to Lucy's apartment and inform her of the news. He couldn't figure out why, though.

The part where he liked Lucy _more_ than a friend in Lisanna's speech echoed in his mind. Did he like Lucy? That was a question that had an obvious answer, but Natsu had a road block in his train of thought.

"So…we're breaking up." Natsu finally said.

Lisanna nodded with a small smile. "But we will always be nakama." She declared.

Natsu nodded with a goofy grin on his face. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Lisanna."

She smiled and walked away as Natsu went back inside his house and went to sleep.

 **{~•~•~}**

Natsu walked in the guild with Happy flying by his side, grinning cheekily. Natsu looked around, searching for a particular blonde. Last night, he thought long and hard **(sounds wrong XD)** about what Lisanna said to him and realized that he did have feelings for his best friend.

Gray, noticing how Natsu's eyes swept around the room, walked up to him. "If you're looking for Lucy, she hasn't come to the guild yet."

Natsu frowned slightly, but soon crept up into a smile which startled the raven-haired male. "All right, I'll just go to her apartment; I need to talk to her about something."

Gray raised an eyebrow. "What do you need to talk to her about?"

"Well, Lisanna and I broke up last night," Gray's eyes widened. "And she made me realize that I like Lucy more than just a best friend."

"But she has a boyfriend."

Natsu froze in remembrance at the small, but significant detail. Lucy already has a boyfriend, and it didn't seem like they were breaking up anytime soon. Natsu's heart dropped, but tried not to show it. "Oh, yeah, forgot about that…" He trailed off while scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

Gray crossed his arms over his now bare chest. "So, you and Lucy are okay now?"

Natsu cringed. "Not exactly, but I was hoping to fix it today."

"Do you even know why she was ignoring you in the first place?"

"Why? Do you know something?" Natsu asked.

Gray shook his head and put his hands in his jeans pocket. "It's not my place to tell."

"Why not?" Natsu said, his voice getting louder.

Gray glared at him. "Because it's not any of my business, it's Lucy's, and if she wants to tell you, she will."

Natsu looked at the floor; he knew Gray was right, if Lucy wanted to tell him, she would, but why hasn't she?

He nodded at Gray and walked out the guild, heading toward Lucy's apartment.

When he made it there, he walked up to the door and knocked on it. He heard some shuffling footsteps and a click of a lock as the door opened. Lucy appeared in the doorway and without a word, she opened the door wider and let Natsu inside. Natsu's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he stepped in the room and turned around as Lucy closed the door.

She crossed her arms over her stomach and kept her gaze away from onyx eyes. "Hey, Natsu, what brings you here?"

Natsu almost flinched at how dejected her voice sounded. "I-I…um…I w-wanted to…" Natsu cursed himself silently for stuttering. "Lisanna broke up with me." He said, deciding to rip the bandage off.

Lucy gasped. "I'm so sorry."

Natsu shook his head as a small smile was plastered on his face. "It's fine, really. I'm okay."

Lucy returned the smile. "So, anything else you want to talk about?"

Natsu nodded. "So, Lisanna gave me this speech about why she was breaking up with me, and she made me realize that I…like you more than a friend." He said slowly.

Lucy's eyes widened in astonishment as the news sunk in. She took a few steps back as she shook her head. "No. Natsu, I have a boyfriend, you can't spring this on me out of the blue."

"Lucy, are you seriously happy with Ruta?"

"His name is _Suta_."

"Whatever. Lucy, you're in the Discovery stage, meaning that you'll find anything or anybody that you think will make you happy."

"Maybe I am happy, Natsu. Ever think of that? I don't care about this stupid disease anymore, I'm trying to make the most out of whatever time I have left because we can't cure this disease!" Lucy shouted.

"If you would just tell me what the answer to the stupid problem is, we would be able to cure it!"

"You know what? Fine! I'll tell you what the answer is!"

"Then what is it?"

"Closure. I need closure." Lucy said as her voice quieted down.

Natsu blinked. "Closure for what?"

"A few months ago, you and Lisanna started dating. But did you tell me? No. A few days later I had to found out from _Levy_ that you two got together. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was that important…"

"Well it was to me! Every time you would yell at me about how best friends should be able to tell each other everything, you didn't even tell me you got a girlfriend-"

"So you were jealous? That's it?"

"I was not jealous! I was hurt that you didn't even tell me that something so important happened in your life. We're best friends, and you didn't think to tell me?"

"Why does it matter?" Natsu asked, raising his voice. "So I didn't tell you one thing, why are you so hurt about it?"

"Because I loved you!" The word slipped out of Lucy's mouth before she even knew what she was saying. "I felt like you didn't trust me and you wouldn't tell me anything anymore! Our friendship means so much to me and I trust you with my life, so why didn't you trust me? Getting your first girlfriend is a big deal and you didn't tell me about it; your best friend. How am I supposed to feel after that?" By the time Lucy finished talking, tears were streaming down her face and her cheeks were flushed.

Nastu's froze in place at her confession. So many thoughts plagued his mind and he couldn't string a coherent sentence together. "Lucy-"

"No," She whispered. "No, just stop."

Natsu held is hand out to her. "But-"

Lucy flinched away from his hand and staggered back. "D-Don't touch me! J-Just leave me a-alone…" Her body started glowing a faint yellow color that seemed to shine brighter and brighter. Natsu had to look away as the yellow light flashed throughout the room.

A few minutes later, the light dimmed down and there was no heavy breathing or sniffles from the blonde. Natsu turned around and dropped his gaze to floor. His eyes widened in horror.

In Lucy's place, was a platinum colored key.

 **{~•~•~}**

 **…** **so that happened.**

 **Welp…two confessions and a transformation for you guys.**

 **…** **please don't hate me. But hey, I got two chapters out in a week \\( ^ . ^ )/**

 **This is actually a little longer than intended but I guess that's a good thing XD**

 **Anyway, I gotta go cause I'm hungry.**

 **Don't forget to review :D**


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 **I'M SO FUCKING SORRY.**

 **I LEFT YOU GUYS HANGING FOR SO LONG I FEEL SO BAD T.T**

 **School has kept me so busy and on Saturday's I have soccer games and I get so tired and don't feel like writing T.T**

 **But I'm here now :D**

 **I'm gonna start calling you guys my poptarts cause poptarts are amazing and so are you guys for not PM-ing me hate for not updating XD**

 **Anyway, two important announcements at the end and I hope you enjoy :D**

 **{~•~•~}**

Natsu stood there, rigid and still for what felt like hours but was only five minutes as Porlyusica's words rang in his head.

 _"_ _Transformation is when they turn into an actual spirit within a few days to a week. This is very particular to celestial mages because during the transformation stage, they turn into a celestial spirit and are replaced by a platinum colored key. The spirit goes into the spirit world where their key acts like any other celestial key. If the spirit isn't turned back into a person within the first forty-eight hours, a new constellation is made with the first letter of their name and they are forever a celestial spirit."_

 **(AN: I sensed some confusion in the reviews so there's a recap or you :D)**

Natsu walked gingerly over to the key and picked it up cautiously, examining it. The key was platinum colored, the top circle-shaped with another circle in the middle that was connected to the outer edge of the key by oval and diamond-shaped jewels **(see cover)**. After fully examining it with unblinking eyes, Natsu bolted out of Lucy's apartment and went straight to the guild.

When he got there, he slammed the doors open, attracting the attention of the guildmates inside. Huffing and puffing, he walked to the center table and stood beside it; the whole guild watching him. Erza was the first to approach as she said, "What's wrong, Natsu?"

He held up the key with a distraught look on his face as he answered, "Lucy…"

Erza stared at the key for a moment until her eyes widened in recognition and horror. "She…transformed…"

Natsu hung his head. "It's all my fault…I should've tried to understand what she was feeling instead of yelling at her…" He mumbled.

Erza raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Natsu shook his head and placed the key on the nearby table, sitting down and placing his head in his hands. Erza then called a meeting for the guild and had Master Markarov come down and listen as well. She explained Lucy's behavior over the past few months and what Porlyusica told her, Natsu, Gray, and Levy.

After her speech, the guild was silent, searching for the right words to say. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Levy was the first to speak. "So what do we do now?"

Then Gray spoke. "I say we start doing more research and see if there's anything we can do to turn Lucy back to normal."

Erza nodded. "Yes, we will start research immediately. Levy, head over to our library and choose some others to go with you." Levy nodded and started talking to some guildmates.

Wendy spoke up next. "If Lucy-san's key is like any normal celestial key, then maybe we can contact another celestial mage and see if they have any information."

Erza smiled. "Well said. Someone contact Yukino from Sabertooth and ask her if she can come over here and help us." The guild nodded and dispersed, leaving Erza, Natsu, and Gray standing by the center table.

Natsu still had his head in his hands, holding Lucy's key. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to find Gray standing in front of him. "Lucy's not gone. We can still do something about this and we're not going to give up, right?"

Natsu nodded and stood up, a new fire in his eyes brighter than ever before. "Yeah, let's save Lucy."

 **{~•~•~}**

Yukino stared at the key for a moment, studying it. "Yeah, seems like a normal key. Maybe I can summon Lucy." She stood up in her stance and words flowed out of her mouth. "Open, Gate of the Celestial Wizard, Lucy!" **(AN: I know, I'm not original XD)**

The key did nothing and Yukino stood there, baffled. It was already night at Magnolia; the day flew by as the guild searched with vigor for any way to help Lucy. Yukino had just gotten there, having taken a train from her town.

Erza frowned. "Maybe we will find something in our research."

As if on cue, Levy rushed up to them with a book in hand. "Minna, I found something!"

The guild (and Yukino) all huddled around Levy as she sat at the table and opened her book up to a page. "This book says that in order for a key to return the person, transformed to a key from Jimina Sukete Miemasu, you have to place the key in a keyhole of the Rainbow Sakura at noon within forty-eight hours."

Erza spoke. "Great, we will head there tomorrow. Alright everybody, head home and sleep so we can start the day with determination."

The guild praised Levy for her find and headed home. Natsu was of those people, and he was carrying Happy who was fast asleep. He walked up to Wendy outside. "Hey, Wendy, can you watch Happy for tonight? I have some things to do."

Wendy smiled. "Sure, Natsu-san! I'll bring him to the guild in the morning, have a good night." She said. Wendy walked away, Carla flying beside her and Happy snoring lightly in his arms. Natsu headed the opposite way, towards the park.

When he got there, he stared at the Sakura tree with tired eyes. He walked up to it and sat down, leaning his back against it as he took Lucy's key out of his vest's pocket and gazed at it.

He sat there for about an hour, staring at the key. Deciding to head home, he stood up and took a few steps away from the tree. Wanting one last look, he turned around and eyed it. Noticing something on the bark, he walked closer and gasped.

Carved into the bark, was a key shaped hole.

 **{~•~•~}**

 **Another cliffy :D**

 **Anyway, my poptarts, I have two announcements.**

 **One: I have made a compromise about the ending. It isn't exactly a NaLu ending, but Lucy isn't with Suta anymore and Natsu and Lucy are in this transitional stage where they're dating but not exactly boyfriend/girlfriend, which Natsu will do something about in the sequel ;)**

 **This isn't set in stone. If you want this compromise, out of like the 186 people following this story, I want at least like 20-25 people saying "Aye" in a review. If I don't get that many, then the first votes will stand for a NaLu/No NaLu ending and I will count the votes.**

 **Two: I'm going to start setting a review goal for my stories. It'll be more convenient for me because of school, and when I get that many reviews, I'll update :D I think it'll be pretty easy for you guys to meet cause the goal won't be that high and like 38 people reviewed the Author's Question…**

 **So, Review Goal: 10 (starting off small)**

 **Have a great day my poptarts :3**


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

 **Good afternoon, my poptarts :D**

 **Just came back from school and I'm hyped up on Pepsi so I decided to write a chapter for you poptarts. Anyway, the votes are in (compromise is a no-go cause not enough people):**

 **NaLu: 31**

 **No NaLu: 7**

 **…** **That was a LANDSLIDE omg XD**

 *****I will be changing my name from Rainbowpoptartcat to PoptartEmpress*****

 **{~•~•~}**

Natsu stared at the tree in confusion, wondering why the key-hole was there at a different time than stated in Levy's research.

He debated on whether to put the key in now, or gather his friends for the "reunion". Then again, it was around one in the morning, and he did not want to deal with Erza's anger for being awakened. So Natsu walked up to the tree and studied it a little before placing the key into the carved hole and took a step back.

The key started glowing brightly as the colors of the rainbow appeared on the leaves and shone beautifully in the starry night sky. The tree absorbed the key as the bark somehow stretched around the it, making the key and the key-hole carving disappear.

There were flashes of color so bright that Natsu covered his eyes and looked to the side, cringing from the slight pain in his eyes. The leaves rustled as the wind blew, detaching some leaves from its respective branch, instantly turning back to its spring green color.

As the light became more bearable to look at, Natsu, with his eyes still covered, looked at the tree again and noticed a faint yellow outline of a person that looked vaguely like Lucy at the very top of the tree.

Slowly, the shape started to fill in with different colors from her slightly tan skin to the colors of her clothes. The outline molded into her body shape, showing her curvy figure.

Details began to arise, filling in her eyes, nose, and mouth; the shape looking like Lucy more and more as time went by.

The flashing lights died down to a dull, yellow color, leaving Lucy floating in the air for a few seconds before she started to fall. Seeing this, Natsu sprinted up to the tree and caught her bridal style before she hit the ground.

"Lucy?" He said as he slowly set her on the ground, still cradling her. "Lucy, wake up, are you okay?"

The blonde's eyes fluttered open revealing her big, chocolate brown eyes. "Natsu?" She whispered. "What happened?"

Natsu sighed in relief and helped her sit up so that they were facing each other. "Long story." He answered shortly.

Lucy nodded in understanding. "I'm guessing I turned into key and you solved it by putting the key in the key-hole in the tree?" When Natsu raised an eyebrow, she continued. "Yeah, I sort of knew about the whole key thing as well…sorry."

"No, you don't have to apologize. I'm so sorry, Luce. I'm sorry about everything, including not telling you about Lisanna and me before. I don't know why I didn't tell you, I-"

Lucy held up a hand, stopping Natsu from talking, and smiled. "It's alright, Natsu. I may have overreacted just a little." She stood up, Natsu following her movements.

Then, she wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him for a hug which he accepted immediately. "Thank you…"

Natsu smiled. "Anytime."

Lucy pulled out of the hug and returned the smile. They stayed like that for a few seconds before Lucy saw something flash in Natsu's eyes and she took a step back. "Well, I should probably head back to my apartment. I'll see you tomorrow at the guild."

Natsu nodded and watched her leave the park, a look of longing in his eyes.

 **{~•~•~}**

Lucy was scrambling around her room, trying to get dressed for her date with Suta. She had on a pale pink dress that reached her mid-thigh and matching ballet flats. Her hair was down over her shoulders and just when she finished brushing it, there was a knock on her door.

She grabbed her purse, which had her keys and whip in it for safety reasons, and walked to the door, opening it. Suta was in a button-up and khakis with some dress shoes. "You ready to go?" He asked as he held out his arm.

She took it with and eager nod and locked the door when she walked out.

The couple went to a restaurant not too far from Lucy's apartment. They had a pretty good time, talking and eating together. But a thought was plaguing Lucy's mind the entire time.

As they walked back to her apartment, her mind began to wander off as Suta walked beside her, talking animatedly. She couldn't get Natsu's expression from the night before out of her mind. His eyes had this sincerity and passion that she only saw while he was fighting somebody.

Maybe, he was telling the truth about his feelings.

When they reached Lucy's apartment, Suta turned to the blonde, snapping her out of her thoughts. He faced her and took her hands, rubbing circles with his thumbs. His ears were pink, and his gaze was focused on his shoes.

"Suta? What's wrong?" Lucy asked softly.

Suta finally looked up and Lucy flinched inwardly at the intense look in his eyes. "Lucy, I-I know we haven't known each other for that long a-and I understand if you don't feel the same way but I j-just wanted to say..."

He intertwined their fingers and said something Lucy never thought she'd hear.

"I love you."

 **{~•~•~}**

 **And cue cliffy XD**

 **Ohmahgersh guys, we're almost to 200 followers! I'm so hyped :D**

 **I 3 you all.**

 **By the way, I've been thinking about this lately, and with the help of a reader (*cough* CrimsonLightKey *cough*) and their input I think I'll just merged the sequel within this story, giving it another arc, and just having like a seasonal break so it'll continue a little later while I write my other story.**

 **With that said, the next chapter will be the last chapter for this arc :'( But it will be the longest chapter I've written for this story so far, just for you guys :)**

 **Anyway, good day, my lovely poptarts, and don't forget to review!**

 **Review Goal:** **15 (we got twelve last time :D)**

 **EDIT: Ending was changed, new chapter up as well.**


	15. Chapter 14

**Aye guys! So, before you read this chapter, DO NOT GO ON UNTIL YOU READ THE NEW ENDING FROM LAST CHAPTER.**

 **I'm dead serious. There was a huge change and if you read this without reading that, you'll be severely surprised (just skip to the part where Lucy and Suta have their date).**

 **And this is still the last chapter of this arc, that hasn't changed. NaLu won't be happening until the next arc.**

 **Anyway, I'll stop word vomiting :D**

 **{~•~•~}**

Lucy stared at Suta in shock, the three words still processing in her mind.

 _He loves me?!_ Lucy thought. But the more important question was, did _she_ love _him_?

The look in Suta's eyes didn't help the situation either. There was a glimmer of hope and longing in his gaze that made her want to jump into his arms and never let him go. But did that really qualify her to say that she _loves_ him?

"Lucy," Suta started. "You don't have to say it back, I know it's really early-"

"No," Lucy interrupted. "I want to say it back but...I don't want to say something I don't truly mean." Lucy said softly.

Suta nodded, grateful that he at least got an answer from his girlfriend. "And another thing." He said, catching the blonde's attention once again. "I was wondering if I could maybe...join your guild?"

Suddenly, Lucy's eyes lit up. "You want to join Fairy Tail?" Suta nodded. "That's amazing! We would love for you to join!" Lucy said excitedly.

"Great, so we'll meet there tomorrow?"

Lucy nodded. They both hugged each other affectionately and pulled away, saying their goodbyes. She watched her boyfriend disappear around the corner, walked into her apartment, and turned in for the night.

 **{~•~•~}**

Mira pressed the stamp on Suta's left hand and released, revealing a bright yellow guild mark on his skin. Mira smiled. "You are now an official member of Fairy Tail!"

Some watching guild mates clapped and welcomed Suta to the family. "Thank you." He said shyly.

"No problem!" Mira answered. "By the way, what kind of magic do you have, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I know the basics of solid script magic." Suta replied.

"I know just the person who could help you with that." Lucy grinned.

Mira giggled as Lucy pulled him over to a table and sat down, conversing animatedly. Mira noticed Natsu looking at them with an unreadable expression.

She walked over to him. "Trouble in paradise again, Natsu?"

The pinkette tore his gaze away from the couple and looked at her. "No, everything's fine. Lucy forgave me for what happened." When Lucy reached the guild, there was a lot of fuss about how she got out of her key form. After Natsu explained what happened, some guild mates were angry, but when Erza knocked him out, they seemed satisfied and understood his actions, leaving him unconscious for a good half an hour.

Mira raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure she forgave you Natsu? Sometimes words are just words."

Natsu frowned a bit but shrugged it off, knowing that Lucy wouldn't lie to him.

 _...Right?_

"Anyway, I heard you and Lisanna broke up." Mira said, changing the subject.

Natsu flinched. "You're not gonna hurt me, are ya?"

She giggled. "Of course not. She broke up with you. She was a little upset about it, but she's fine now. Besides, I've been shipping NaLu this whole time."

Natsu's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's a NaLu?"

"You and Lucy's ship name of course. You two are going to end up together eventually, you just have to let her relationship run it's course."

Natsu cringed at her persistence but looked at the couple with curiosity. They both looked like they were having fun, enjoying each other's company as Lucy laughed at a joke Suta made.

Natsu frowned with thought.

 **{~•~•~}**

Lucy was busy writing more of her story, her tongue sticking out in concentration as she ignored the aching pain in her wrist. While she was at the guild, she had come up with a plot twist that would surely turn the story in another direction.

She heard her window open and turned around in her chair, witnessing Natsu climb through it with ease. She sighed. "Natsu, I thought you were done coming through the window."

He grinned at her. "Nope." He said, popping the 'p' as he jumped over her bed and sat on it.

They sat in silence for a while, her writing and him watching until he spoke up. "So...you and Suta, huh?" Natsu asked.

Lucy turned around again and looked at him with a small smile. "Yeah."

"How's that going?" He asked.

"Good. Suta...um...said he loved me yesterday..." Lucy answered hesitantly.

Natsu visibly stiffened. "So...what did you say?"

"I told him that I didn't want to say anything that I may not mean."

Not wanting to talk about the subject anymore, Natsu changed the subject. "Luce, do you really forgive me?"

Lucy looked at him bewildered. "What do you mean? Of course I do." Her mind was speaking, but her heart thought differently.

"Sometimes words are just words..." Natsu muttered.

"We'll always be best friends," Lucy said. "Always."

Natsu nodded, and with that, Lucy continued writing and Natsu jumped out the window. Lucy glanced back with a sad look in her eyes, but she continued writing.

Both minds buzzed with uncertainty.

 **End A** **rc I**

 **{~•~•~}**

 **Arc I completed :D**

 **It won't be for a few weeks until I post the next chapter for the next arc, because I want to get my other story rolling with the plot, but it won't be long :)**

 **Hoped you enjoyed!**

 **See ya later, my poptarts~**


	16. Chapter 15

**Fading Away: Arc II**

 **Chapter 15**

 **Hiya my poptarts! I am back with Fading Away after like…3 months…**

 **I was originally going to post this a few weeks ago, but I got stressed out with school and had some friendship problems (which still hasn't been solved) but I'm going to come back to writing for an outlet :)**

 **Hope you enjoy the start of Arc II!**

 **{~•~•~}**

A few weeks went by and nothing significant really happened.

Lucy and Suta were still together, their relationship growing stronger, and no problems whatsoever. But maybe, just maybe, it was all a phase, which Lucy feared most.

She felt that her feelings for Suta had grown over time, and maybe this was for real. But the lingering thought of her love for Natsu was undefined. Did she have feelings for him, or is she finally starting to fall hard for Suta? Those are questions she has tried to answer, but hasn't figured out. Who knows, maybe she has gotten over Natsu. Only time will tell.

As the couple got to know each other better, Lucy found out that Suta has a twin sister that was moving to Magnolia in a few days, which was exciting, but nerve-racking. She wanted his family to like her just in case this relationship got any more serious. Then there's the Natsu and Lucy dilemma. Although the two were still best friends, there was always an elephant in the room when they spoke to each other. Everyone in the guild noticed it, but decided not to question what was happening and let them fix it on their own.

Natsu didn't exactly recognize the tension between him and his partner, but he still had a few doubts in his mind about just being friends with her. He wasn't lying when he confessed to the blonde, but followed Mira's advice and was going to let the relationship run its course.

But unbeknownst to Natsu, Lucy still hasn't completely forgiven him.

Lucy wasn't angry, sad, or ridden of her trust in Natsu, but she wasn't okay about it either. The hurtful things he said, his actions, and putting her in the situation where she had to choose is what hurts the most. One day, she will learn to forgive and forget, but it was just too early.

She just wanted to feel okay again, and Suta was helping bit by bit. He was her remedy to the pain. But that was something Natsu wasn't so fond of.

He hates to admit it, but he was jealous. He was jealous of their laughs, giggles, and glances; their moments where they would just stop talking and look each other in the eyes with great affection. He wanted that with Lucy.

But he did what he did, said what he said, and now he was paying for it.

Hopefully, this situation would blow over and she would trust him again, but right now, Natsu understood that Lucy needed space, and he was willing to give that to her, hence the reason why he has been taking so many solo jobs lately. Which, of course, has been noticed by the guild as well, but they still don't express their concerns. Lucy has noticed to and was grateful to be able to breathe, but was also a little surprised at how willingly he complied with the unspoken agreement.

Despite her appreciativeness, she missed the pinkette more than even she knew, and that scared her most of all. Suta was able to fulfill that hole in her heart, but why did it feel like she was using him? Are her feelings nonexistent toward him and a replacement for Natsu? Or was Lucy still _in love_ with the dragon slayer?

These questions were bouncing around in her head, wreaking havoc and causing pain in her temples. The answer seemed obvious, and yet she was not going to confess them.

In her current relationship, everything seemed fine. But Lucy didn't miss the subtle hints that Suta gave about her "pink haired best friend" or the one that "fights with fire," which, did not seem that pleasant and content. She would always get slightly defensive of Natsu, but didn't utter a word. Hopefully, she always thought, that didn't count as betrayal.

 **{~•~•~}**

"Hey, Luce?"

Lucy turned around and faced the voice that belonged to Natsu. Startled by his sudden approach, she ended up almost following out of her barstool she sat in, but was saved by a strong arm that did not belong to Suta. As Natsu helped her up in her chair, she felt tingles of where his hand was around her waist.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Natsu chuckled. "You okay?" She nodded. "Good. Can I talk to you for a second?"

Her nervousness increased substantially but she agreed anyway. She turned toward the bar and started playing with the straw to her strawberry milkshake. "So what did you want to talk about?"

After sitting down on the wooden stool, Natsu answered, "I was wondering if you wanted to go on a job. Lisanna and I are heading to Hargeon for a mission and you could bring Suta along." He was surprised at how calm he sounded, despite the heaviness he felt in his chest.

Lucy's unsettlement went away and she smiled. "Sure. Suta should be here in a few so I'll ask him if he wants to join. How long is the trip?"

"We leave tonight and we'll be back tomorrow afternoon." Natsu replied.

"Alright." Lucy nodded. She heard the guild doors open and looked over to see Suta walking in, scanning the room.

She walked over to him and explained Natsu's proposal, to which Suta agreed, and headed back to her apartment so Lucy could pack her things.

As the couple walked out the door, she felt eyes burning the back of her skull. Regardless, she kept walking.

 **{~•~•~}**

 **First chapter of the second arc, done :D**

 **Now, I realized I kinda messed up reviewing for you guys by deleting those author's notes, which was a stupid thing to do on my part. So I'm sorry about that :(**

 **I'll hopefully get another chapter up next week, since Wednesday is when I start my winter break, so be on the lookout :D**

 **I hope you enjoyed! If you did, don't forget to leave a review (if you can XD)**

 **See you later my poptarts~**


	17. Decisions, Decisions

**Okay.**

 **This isn't an update, and as you can tell, I've lost inspiration for this story currently.**

 **I don't know why exactly, maybe it's just I've lost a lot of viewers because of my "break" or maybe it's because I don't have much encouragement as if I'm writing good enough for you guys.**

 **So I'm making a poll.**

 **It will have two options such as:**

 **-Continue the story.**

 **-Unpublish and rewrite it.**

 **By the time any of you are reading this it'll already be up, so please give me some guidance because I'm running out of ideas on how to keep you guys interested and not hate me for my sporadic update schedule.**

 **So if you have time, please drop by and vote, and I'll close it in a month or so. Maybe on Halloween so everybody has a chance to vote.**

 **I hope I haven't lost you guys completely.**

 **See you later, My Poptarts~**


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